Near-Record Effort Draws Praise for Jake Manning (10/4/08)
Senior quarterback Jake Manning of Schoolcraft, Mich. (Schoolcraft HS) is the MIAA offensive player of the week. Manning led a valiant Hope comeback that fell one point short in a 31-30 loss to Trine. He completed 32 of 45 passes for 497 yards and four touchdowns, including two in the game’s final three minutes. Manning’s 497 passing yards are the second-most ever in an MIAA game and just three yards shy of Hope’s single-game passing record. The Hope record for passing yardage is 500 yards by Phil Butler against Wheaton in 2003. The MIAA record is 546 yards by Bill Nietzke of Alma against Hope in 1996.

Flying Dutchmen Remain Winless on Season (10/4/08)
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The Flying Dutchmen suffered a heartbreaking 31-30 Homecoming loss to visiting Trine (formerly Tri-State) Saturday to remain winless on the season. Coach Dean Kreps' Dutchmen slipped to 0-5 on the season in suffering their first Homecoming loss since 1997.

Hope fought back time-after-time against the undefeated Thunder, including scoring a touchdown with only 35 seconds remaining that trimmed Trine's lead to a single point. But it wasn't to be as Hope's attempt to kick the extra and tying point was blocked. It was the second time in the game that Trine defenders blocked a Hope PAT kick.

The loss overshadowed an outstanding passing/receiving performance by senior quarterback Jake Manning and sophomore receiver Kyle Dietrich. Manning just missed the single game record for passing yardage as he completed 32-of-45 passes for 497 yards (the record is 500) and four touchdowns. Dietrich shattered the single game record for reception yardage as he hauled in 14 passes that covered 285 yards. The old record was 210 yards by Joel Solomon against Wisconsin Lutheran in 2003. Dietrich and Scott Snyder each caught a pair of touchdown passes. The aerial attack overshadowed a dismal running attack that saw Hope gain only one net yard in 25 attempts.

Flying Dutchmen Go Winless Outside MIAA (9/27/08)
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Head coach Dean Kreps would probably rather not call his team's winless start a good omen, but if recent history proves itself that could well be the case. The Flying Dutchmen suffered their fourth straight loss to a nationally ranked team Saturday night bowing to Wheaton, Ill. 47-7. It marks the fourth straight year that the Flying Dutchmen have gone winless in their pre-MIAA games. The past three years Hope has reversed a cumulative 0-9 non-league record by posting an 18-3 conference mark that has included back-to-back championship the last year years.

The Thunder defeated the Flying Dutchmen for the eighth consecutive year with an offense that racked up 460 yards of total offense. Hope, meanwhile, was limited to 247 yards of total offense, including just 59 yards rushing. Hope's only touchdown was scored by tailback Jon Rodriguez on a one-yard run midway through the fourth quarter. Quarterback Jake Manning completed 18-of-40 passes for 177 yards. Nine of the completions were caught by Scott Snyder covering 69 yards.

Hope opens conference play hosting Trine (formerly Tri-State) next Saturday for Homecoming.

Flying Dutchmen Suffer Third Defeat (9/20/08)
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The Flying Dutchmen suffered their third loss of the season Saturday, bowing to nationally ranked UW-Eau Claire 28-6.

The game was closer than the final score appeared as the host Blugolds scored two fourth quarter touchdowns to break open the game.

The Flying Dutchmen had an early chance when Matt Anderson intercepted his third collegiate pass and returned it to the Blugold 21. However, Hope was unable to advance the ball on its first series. The Blugolds responded with a 79-yard drive with Cory Sartoreli scoring on a one-yard plunge seven minutes into the game. Hope's defense compensated for a stalled offense when late in the first quarter linebacker Chris Batterbee recovered a UW fumble on the Hope 11. Jake Manning completed four straight passes and moved the Flying Dutchmen deep into UW territory, but the drive stalled forcing a punt. UW led 7-0 after the first quarter.

Early in the second quarter UW was knocking on Hope's goal line when the Hope defense again rose to the occasion with freshman Josh Echtinaw intercepting a Blugold pass in the end zone, his second of the season. Hope's offense couldn't take advantage and was forced to punt, but yet another UW turnover resulted in a fumble recovery giving Hope new life at midfield. But it was shortlived as UW intercepted Manning with seven minutes left in the first half. An 11-play drive late in the second quarter, culminated by a two-yard plunge into the end zone by Sartoreli to put the Blugolds ahead 14-0.

Hope got the ball on their own 28 with 1:46 left. Manning marched the Dutchmen down the field with a series of pass completions highlighted by a 6-yard completion for the touchdown to Kyle Dietrich. The PAT kick attempt was wide and Hope trailed 14-6 at the half.

The Flying Dutchmen opened the third quarter with an impressive drive that began on the Hope 20, but ended on the UW9. The drive consumed 17 plays and nearly eight minutes and included five Manning pass completions. The third quarter turned into a defensive struggle as the teams were scoreless on five possession exchanges.

UW struck for two touchdowns in the fourth, first on a short yardage fourth-down play and then on a 91-yard sprint. Hope, meanhile, had its chances, but had drives stopped on downs, including one inside the UW 5.

The Flying Dutchmen were limited to 40 yards rushing. Manning completed 25-of-54 passes for 279 yards to raise his career passing total to over 5,000 yards Kyle Dietrich caught 10 passes for 149 yards.

Carthage's total erased a mark that stood 87 years when then Western Normal (now Division I Western Michigan) scored 65 points against Hope. That game was 65-0, however.

Hope's 46 points was the most ever scored by the Flying Dutchmen in defeat. The previous mark was 45 points in a 55-45 loss to Wheaton in a 2003 NCAA playoff game.

And the 116 combined points by the teams is a record. The previous record was 110 points in Wheaton's 55-45 playoff triumph.

Six touchdowns were scored in the first quarter as the host Redmen gained a 28-14 advantage. The teams combined for 48 offensive plays in the first quarter. Hope tailback Tim Elzinga scored Hope's first two touchdowns, both on two-yard gains.

The teams were on a pace to eclipse several offensive records as the Red Men gained a 42-26 halftime lead. Tim Elzinga had his third touchdown of the game by halftime scoring on a four-yard. Quarterback Jake Manning kept the Dutchmen within striking distance as he hit tight end David DeBoer with a 14-yard scoring pass with 14 seconds left in the half.

Hope stayed within a pair of touchdowns most of the second half. Jake Manning threw three touchdown passes after intermission -- 11 yards to Kyle Dietrich, 22 yards to Scott Snyder and 15 yards to Jared Hudson.

The amassed 1,082 yards of total offense, Hope ending with 442 to Carthage's 641. Manning completed 25-of-57 passes for 328 yards. Tailback Tim Elzinga rushed for 115 yards on 19 carries. Leading the receivers were David DeBoer with seven catches for 65 yards, Scott Snyder with six covering 115 yards and Tim Carter with five for 89 yards.

The Flying Dutchmen are 0-2 and will be on the road again next Saturday at UW-EauClaire.

Chris Batterbee Honored by MIAA (9/8/08)
Junior linebacker Chris Batterbee of Gladwin (Gladwin HS) is the MIAA Defensive Player of the Week for his performance in the Flying Dutchmen’s narrow 28-25 loss to Illinois Wesleyan. Batterbee made 10 tackles, eight of them solos, and also intercepted an IWU pass. It’s the first time Batterbee has received MIAA Player of the Week recognition in his career.

Flying Dutchmen Fall Short in Season Opener (9/6/08)
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Visiting Illinois Wesleyan spoiled Hope's Community Day season-opener on Saturday, topping the Flying Dutchmen 28-25 before more than 4,000 fans. The Flying Dutchmen staged a late rally and had the football in the closing minutes, but came up short in losing their season opener for the 19th time in the last 22 years.

Quarterback Jake Manning threw one touchdown pass and ran for two others. He completed 21-of-39 passes for 271 yards to an array of receivers. David DeBoer caught nine of them for 96 yards while Kyle Dietrich pulled down six covering 125 yards. Tailback Tim Elzinga rushed for 53 yards on 17 carries. Manning's touchdown runs covered one and four yards. His touchdown pass was an 11-yarder to Dietrich. Tailback Jon Rodriguez also scored a TD on a five-yard run.

Flying Dutchmen Pre-Season Favorite in the MIAA
The Flying Dutchmen, already winners of four MIAA championships this decade, are the pre-season favorite again in 2008. In one of the more bizarre ballots in the 38-year history of the pre-season poll of coaches and media, coach Dean Kreps' Dutchmen topped the poll despite receiving only two of the 15 first place votes that were cast. And none of the league's other head coaches put Hope at the top of their ballot!

Making presentations at the annual MIAA Press Day at Alma College on Thursday, one head coach after another talked of parity. The voting testified to that as teams ran the gamut in the ranking. In the final tally, Hope ended with a cumulative 27 points, followed by Adrian with 33, Olivet 34, Alma 56, Trine (formerly Tri-State) 64, Albion 67 and Kalamazoo 100. Adrian topped the schools with seven first place votes while Olivet treceived six compared to Hope's two.

"You don't win games through the polls; it's done of the field," said coach Kreps who has guided the Flying Dutchmen to six league championships in his 13 years at the helm. A year ago Hope and Olivet were co-champions. The Flying Dutchmen was 6-4 overall.

The Flying Dutchmen, with a pre-season roster of nearly 160 players, begin practice on Tuesday, Aug. 12. The season-opening home Community Day game against Illinois Wesleyan will be Saturday, Sept. 6.

Coach Dean Kreps and his staff face one of the biggest rebuilding challenges in recent seasons as the Flying Dutchmen embark on an ambitious football journey.

The Flying Dutchmen graduated 24 seniors from their MIAA co-championship team. Many were in the starting lineup. The result is that the 2008 pre-season depth chart lists just two offensive and five defensive returning starters.

On top of that, Hope also has arguably one of the toughest pre-league schedules in Division III. Hope’s four non-league opponents posted an impressive 31-11 cumulative record last fall.

The pre-season roster of 180 players includes 26 returning letterwinners, 10 on offense and 16 on defense. The roster includes 65 freshmen or players new to the team along with 64 sophomores, 35 juniors and 16 seniors.

Marking the 99th season of Hope football, the Flying Dutchmen will be bidding for a third consecutive MIAA championship. The 2007 team posted an overall 6-4 record, marking the 12th straight season that the Flying Dutchmen ended .500 or above, a school-record.

The offense will center around senior quarterback Jake Manning of Schoolcraft, Mich. (Schoolcraft HS). A two-year starter, Manning already ranks third all-time in passing yardage and sixth in total offense. Last season he threw 22 touchdown passes while completing 58% of his attempts covering nearly 2,500 yards.

The 2007 Flying Dutchmen averaged 34 points and 422 yards of total offense per game. Manning’s challenge is the fact that the team’s six leading receivers last fall have graduated. They accounted for all but 64 of the team 2,576 receiving yards and 22 of the 23 receiving touchdowns. Also gone are the team’s two leading tailbacks who together gained nearly 1,500 yards and scored 19 of the team’s 22 rushing touchdowns.

Two-time All-MIAA tackle Erik Ladomersky a senior from Grandville, Mich. (Grandville HS) is another returning standout. Ladomersky and Manning will be team co-captains.

The defensive secondary experienced with four returning starters – sophomore corner Chris Jackson of Keego Harbor, Mich. (Pontiac HS), sophomore safety Kevin VanDokkumburg of Holland, Mich. (Holland HS), senior safety Andy Johansen of Holland, Mich. (West Ottawa HS), and senior safety Kevin Mill of Romeo, Mich. (Romeo HS). Also returning in the defensive starting lineup is junior linebacker Chris Batterbee of Gladwin, Mich. (Gladwin HS).

The cupboard is not necessarily empty, however, as many of the Hope players on the two-deep chart last fall were underclassmen.

The 2008 schedule has three new non-league opponents. The Flying Dutchmen will be playing UW-Eau Claire for the first time and will be renewing rivalries with Illinois Wesleyan and Carthage. UW-Eau Claire advanced to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Division III playoffs last fall. Hope’s three other non-league foes (Wheaton, Illinois Wesleyan and Carthage) are all members of the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW). Hope last played Carthage in 1985 and Illinois Wesleyan in 1999.

The MIAA schedule has a new look with the departure of Wisconsin Lutheran and the newly named Trine University, formerly Tri-State.

The 99th year of Hope football will begin with the traditional home Community Day game on Saturday, Sept. 6 against Illinois Wesleyan. The Flying Dutchmen will also play a home night game, hosting Wheaton under the lights of Holland Municipal Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 27. The 11-week/10-game season includes a bye on Saturday, Oct. 18.

The Flying Dutchmen successfully defended their MIAA football crown albeit a co-championship with Olivet. Coach Dean Kreps' Flying Dutchmen finished at 6-1 in conference play. The MIAA's automatic berth in the NCAA Division III playoffs went to Olivet, however, because the Comets defeated Hope in their head-to-head game, 28-25. The MIAA championship was the sixth in 11 years and the 21st in school history.

The team finished 6-4 overall marking the 12th straight season that the team ended .500 or above, a school-record. The squad had one of its largest group of seniors (24) in recent history.

Among season highlights was the 400th victory in Hope football history. It came in the traditional “Wooden Shoes” game against longtime rival Kalamazoo, 57-7. The Flying Dutchmen set a school record for consecutive MIAA victories (14) when they beat Tri-State, 45-35. Playing in weather that exceeded 100 degrees on the field, the Flying Dutchmen were equally as hot with their play in defeating Alma 60-34, a Hope Homecoming game scoring mark. And for the first time in a quarter of a century, the Flying Dutchmen defeated Albion on the Britons' home turf spoiling the Britons’ Homecoming, 42-35, in the highest scoring game in the 81-year history of the rivalry.

The Flying Dutchmen placed 13 players on the all-MIAA teams. In addition, two players were named recipients of the league's special awards. Senior wide receiver Doug Van Eerden was the co-recipient of the league's outstanding offensive player award and senior fullback George Klupchak was the co-recipient of the Pete Schmidt Scholar-Athlete Award.

Players receiving All-MIAA first team recognition were senior offensive tackle Jake Droppers, junior offensive tackle Erik Ladomersky, senior tight end Kevin VandenBosch, senior wide receiver Doug Van Eerden, senior tailback David Booko, senior defensive end Matt Rugenstein, senior linebacker Drew Weigel, senior defensive back Troy Blasius, and senior kicker Chris Bowen. All-MIAA second team honors were presented to senior offensive guard Ben Smith, sophomore tailback Brent Jones, junior quarterback Jake Manning and senior defensive tackle Colin Balas.

Seniors Doug VanEerden (wide receiver) and Kevin Vandenbosch (tight end) were named to the D3football.com North All-Region team. The All-Region team was comprised of Division III players from colleges in Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Wisconsin.

David Booko became Hope's alltime leading scorer. The last carry of his collegiate career resulted in his 48th touchdown. The previous record was 47 touchdowns by Brandon Graham from 1994-97. Booko also became the first Hope player to lead the team in rushing for four consecutive years, finishing his career with 3,635 yards. Senior kicker Chris Bowen established single season records for points by a kicker (63) and extra points kicked (39).

Junior quarterback Jake Manning guided a Hope offense that ranked among the NCAA Division III leaders in several statistical categories -- #29 out of 231 in total offense (421.7 ypg), #32 in scoring (33.9 ppg), #38 in passing offense (257.6 ypg), and 42nd in team passing efficiency (137.59 on a 100.0 scale). Manning himself was 28th in passing efficiency (143.3), 28th in pass yards per game (245.9 ypg) and 41st in total offense (244.0 ypg).